Snowbound:Eagle
by chickeebaybee
Summary: What happens when a Swan, an Eagle and a Condor go on vacation together at a ski resort? This story is written from Mark's POV.
1. Chapter 1

Snowbound: Eagle

It was times like this that made me really happy. No Spectran attacks. Everything had been quiet for some time now, and I was able to relax and tinker with my plane.

The upcoming week was going to be a little strange, though. Princess and Keyop had decided to go skiing for a week on Frozatica.

It was weird to think I wouldn't have them to hang out with at Jill's place. I wondered why they didn't invite me.

Ah, it was just as well. I had a bunch of deliveries to make, anyway.

As I wiped the sweat off of my forehead with an oily rag, I heard a familiar sound coming up my driveway.

It was Keyop. I figured he probably wanted to borrow my skis or something. I watched him park his dune buggy and come bounding up to me.

"Whatcha doin', Mark?" He burbled.

"The ususal. Getting the old girl in top shape for this week." I gestured toward my beloved Cessna.

"This week?" Keyop asked. He looked upset.

"Yeah. Just making a few deliveries. Nothing special." He appeared to be in deep thought.

"You ok, little buddy?" The wheels in my mind started turning. He made me wonder if something happened between him and Princess.

"Yeah." He sighed. "It's just…Princess…"

I felt my heart skip a beat. "Is something wrong? Is she sick?"

"No…not going…on trip…" Keyop stared at his shoes.

I frowned. Now I was getting worried. "Why not? She loves skiing!"

"Doesn't want to go…alone," the Swallow burbled.

"Wait…you're not going with her?"

"No….going with Tiny…to Comic Con…on Aquatica…" The kid shuffled his feet in the dirt, kicking up a cloud of dust. Then he looked up at me with pleading eyes and held out a transport ticket. "Will you go?"

I scratched my head. Me? And Princess? Alone?

It sounded great to me, but what would she think? Would she like the idea? Or would it look bad for me to go on a trip with her…alone? I'm her commanding officer…and this would be way too tempting.

"Is Princess ok with this?" I reached for the ticket and examined it carefully.

Keyop nodded his head, but something told me he wasn't telling the truth.

The kid was always trying to throw Princess and me together. Heck, everyone was. They always said Princess and I were made for each other. I could honestly say that I had feelings for her, but this just wasn't the right time. We had responsibilities…

I handed him back the ticket. He looked devastated.

"Sorry, buddy….not this time. I don't think it would look good for her Commanding officer to take her on a ski trip, alone."

He stumbled over his parting words. "I'll…leave it here….in case you…change your mind."

He placed it on the shelf next to my tools, and slowly walked back to his dune buggy.

My eyes were mysteriously drawn back to the ticket.

I had to give him credit. The boy was persistent.


	2. Chapter 2

Snowbound: Eagle 2

I shook my head in disbelief as I watched Keyop speed out of my driveway.

I wiped my hands on a spare rag and headed inside to get cleaned up. Imagine me and Princess… alone on a ski trip together.

She was always so cute when she was relaxed and having a good time. She really was fun to be around, and she always helped put me at ease, too. It always amazed me that she seemed to know how I was feeling. I really wanted to spend some time alone with her in such a romantic setting, but I was also really worried what everyone would think.

I had to admit, I felt bad that she wasn't going on the trip. She loved skiing so much, and she deserved a nice vacation…

I passed by the ticket that was still sitting on my shelf. I picked it up and looked at it once more.

A week…alone…with Princess.

Could be nice…I smiled to myself.

I carried the ticket with me as I walked back to my humble abode.

Time to get cleaned up and start packing…I thought.

I had a transport waiting for me in the morning, and I didn't want to be late!

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I got out of the shower, dried off, and dressed quickly so that I could get started packing.

I never did anything on the spur of the moment, but I was actually getting pretty excited about this trip!

Uh, oh…I hesitated, with my pants pulled up only to my ankles. Didn't Keyop say Princess wasn't going?

I raised my communicator to call Keyop.

"Hey, Keyop. Come in."

"Yes, Mark?"

"Princess hasn't changed her mind about the trip, has she?"

"She's decided to go…alone…" Keyop replied awkwardly.

I thought for a minute. A sly smile spread across my face. I decided to keep this a surprise. "Oh, ok, I'm glad she's going. I'm sure she'll have a great time. She makes friends so easily."

"Change your mind?" Keyop burbled.

"No." I lied. "Things are pretty busy around here. I was just checking on her…that's all."

"…OK, Commander."

I detected a hint of suspicion in Keyop's burble. I hoped he'd just let it go.

"Thanks, buddy. Tell her I said to have fun!"

I finished dressing and then turned back toward my bedroom and began packing. Then another thought occurred to me.

Prin and Keyop usually stay in the same room!

I quickly called the ski resort and booked myself a separate room. Better to be safe than sorry.

After making a reservation, I reclined in my bed, feeling a little unsure of my decision. If only I could get some sleep!


	3. Chapter 3

Snowbound: Eagle 3

I didn't get much sleep. For some reason, I kept dreaming about kissing Princess while we were on the slopes. The snow softly falling around us, looking into those emerald eyes of hers, brushing snow out of her ebony curls, kissing those dainty pink lips…

Ok, time to snap out of it.

I suddenly realized that I had to get back to reality. Why was I tempting myself by going with her?

Deep down inside I knew the real reason I was going; I was going because I had always wanted to make her mine. I wanted her to be my Swan…and only my Swan. There was no one else out there that even came close to comparing with her.

I picked up my suitcase and started on my journey to the transport. The Taxi ride seemed to take forever, and my heart was thumping loudly in anticipation of seeing Princess.

I didn't know what I was so afraid of. I just knew that it would be frowned upon by the head honchos in the Federation, and the Chief probably wouldn't be thrilled, either. I mean, he had known how I felt about Princess, and I had been warned to keep my professional distance.

But exactly how long did he expect us to hold back?

Those feelings were already there, and we worked just fine together.

Anyway, I was going to try to be on my best behavior on the trip. I was determined show everyone that Princess and I could have a relationship, and still be responsible members of G-Force.

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I boarded the transport, hands trembling as I walked down the narrow aisle.

There she was. She looked gorgeous sitting there, her nose buried in some motorcycle magazine.

I cleared my throat. "Ummm…I think you're in my seat."

I smiled, waiting for her to squeal and jump into my arms.

Instead, I heard, "Better check your ticket, mister. This is my seat, and so is the one next to it. If you even think of sitting down…"

Whoa! She didn't even look at me! My little Swannie was a wee bit grouchy. I wondered if she had had her coffee.

I laughed. I couldn't help it. She was always so cute when she was angry.

"You'll what?" I chuckled.

Princess looked up from her magazine. A brilliant smile spread across her face.

"Mark, what are you doing here?" She asked.

So, I was guessing she was happy to see me...

I had to think of an explanation. Quick. "Well, I suddenly felt like doing some skiing, and Keyop had this extra ticket..."

"Oh…" she replied. She didn't say much. She looked a little uncomfortable. I hoped she wasn't disappointed that she wasn't alone.

I decided to tease her about my seat. Maybe it would break the ice a little bit. "But you know, I think you really are in my seat. This ticket has the number for the window seat."

"Yeah, Keyop likes the window. I just thought that since he wasn't coming… Well, you can have it if you want." Princess seemed a bit sad. Was she missing Keyop? Or was she not happy to see me?

"Okay, if you don't mind."I took her up on her window seat offer.

Since I wasn't piloting, I always felt better when I could see what was going on out the window. Tiny was the only other pilot I could trust completely.

She stood up and let me squeeze by. I could feel her breasts rubbing against my back as I brushed past her. I suddenly came to the horrible realization that I was turned on…and it was beginning to show!

Oh, god…not now! There was no controlling it. It had a mind of its own.

I very quickly sat down and piled some magazines in my lap.

I silently prayed she wouldn't notice.

We sat there, quietly, looking at magazines. I tried desperately to get my mind off of her, so that my aroused state would cease.

"So, when was the last time you went skiing?" She asked.

I inwardly panicked, worried that my state of arousal would never cease.

I casually glanced down at my pants, and then covered myself with another magazine. My mind was too preoccupied to concentrate on the conversation.

"It's been a couple of years. I used to be pretty good, but you know, things have been kind of busy…"

"Yeah, it's been awhile for me too." She quietly responded. Was she looking at my lap?

Just keep talking… "But I hear that the skiing on Frozatica is the best."

"I know! I remember learning to ski in the Alps when the Chief used to take us there as kids. I thought it was the most beautiful place in the universe. I didn't think anything could be better than that!" Princess seemed excited.

Aha, this was going well…

I couldn't help but to smile. "I guess Frozatica has a lot to live up to."

Princess smiled back. She was looking right at my lap. "Yes. I have some pretty high expectations."

Oh, god…she did notice! High expectations??? What was she thinking? What was I supposed to say to that?

I was so embarrassed. I could feel the heat rushing to my face. I had to stop this conversation.

Flight manuals were boring; that might help...

I awkwardly responded. "Yeah…Um…I had some flight manuals I wanted to read, so if you don't mind…"

"No, not at all."

Princess had always been so patient and understanding.

However, I did feel that maybe I was getting the cold shoulder from her. Had I done something wrong?

She put on a pair of headphones and listened to music while I read.

After a while, the flight attendant brought the meals around. I was happy to have something to eat. I was sure Princess could hear my stomach growling, even with her headphones on.

As we ate, the plane hit an unexpected bit of turbulence, causing Prin to spill her drink into my lap. She was terribly embarrassed and flustered. She almost looked like she was going to cry! I tried to calm her down.

She grabbed some napkins and started rubbing them in my crotch area. Oh no! I thought. Anything but that!

Much to my chagrin, my male member began to grow in response to her touch. I had to do something!

I hastily grabbed her arm to stop her. "Stop!" I choked out the words. "I'll do it!"

I wiped at myself roughly, hoping to cause some pain in that area so that things would be less…noticeable. I decided I had better take care of things in the bathroom. Thank goodness she got out into the aisle to let me by this time, or she would have really gotten a show!

I returned, still soaked, and still humiliated. At least I was able to fix my conspicuous problem.

"I got you another drink, Mark." Princess handed me a soda.

"Thanks." I muttered, immediately placing it on the side farthest from Princess. Just in case.

Princess put on some headphones and began to watch a movie to pass the time, while I tried desperately to sleep for the remainder of the five hour flight.

My mind, however, was on the beautiful girl seated next to me. I kept getting whiffs of her perfume, and it made my mind wander. When she wasn't looking, I would slip in a glance every now and then, just to get a quick glimpse of her face as she watched the movie. What I really wanted to do, was to wrap my arms around her and tell her how much I loved her, and spend the entire flight in her warm embrace.

Ah, well, maybe I'd get my chance…


	4. Chapter 4

Snowbound: Mark-4

Once we arrived, we boarded a shuttle bus to the lodge. Everyone seemed so excited and happy, but I couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. After all, what exactly were Princess' "expectations"?

It got even worse once we were on the shuttle bus. It was so crowded, we had to stand. I was feeling extremely claustrophobic. I had never felt this way before, but it almost felt as though I couldn't breathe.

It really bothered me having all of these strangers in my space. I suddenly noticed what I thought was a pinch on my behind.

I looked behind me and saw a rather large woman smiling at me. Great. Just great.

I tried to scoot away from her, only to find that I was about to bump right into Princess…and I'd much rather have Princess in my personal space.

However, Princess backed away from me bashfully. Maybe I was making her uncomfortable. I didn't mean to.

She accidentally backed into the extremely large guy behind her. The guy looked like he was a little too happy to have an excuse to talk to her. I watched carefully as he introduced himself, trying to listen in as best I could.

However, the big woman behind me kept trying to get my attention. I pretended I didn't hear her and caught bits and pieces of Princess and the big jerk's conversation. I heard the words "party girl" and "bash at the bar", and felt the hairs on the back of my neck bristle.

Princess seemed ok with it, so I kept my distance. Anyway, she was perfectly capable of taking this guy out if she needed to.

I kept listening. She was declining his offer. Good. I knew she had better taste than that.

I began to get concerned, however, when the idiot kept coming on to her. Then I realized that because the bus was so crowded, she wouldn't be able to do anything without hurting an innocent bystander.

I looked the big jerk over. He was big. Bigger than Tiny…but the bigger they are, the harder they fall…

I noticed Princess' lips pressing together tightly. Her hand rose to her hip. She was getting really irritated.

At about the same time, I heard the guy saying, "What's your name anyway, Sweet Stuff?"

Sweet Stuff? Nobody talks to her like that. It was time to step in.

I protectively slipped my arm around her waist. "She's taken, buddy…and her name is 'Off Limits'!"

The anger boiling inside me made me do things that I normally wouldn't have the guts to do. I pulled her close. I could feel her heart beating rapidly.

"Sorry, man! I didn't know." He responded nervously.

That took care of that.

I didn't want to take my arm away from Princess. It felt so good to be close to her. I was glad I had this excuse…

I thought I heard the big lug say something else to her, and then she pressed tighter against me, her face buried into my chest. I glared at him, daring him to try to get close to "my girl" again.

I looked down at her face. She was as white as a sheet.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

Even though I knew she could handle just about anything, I felt very protective of her. I just couldn't help myself.

"Yes…" She answered softly. "I'm fine. Thanks…"

I pulled her closer, giving her a gentle squeeze. It felt good to have the one person in my personal space that I actually wanted there. I forgot all about the claustrophobia.

Our faces were close. Really close. I thought for a minute that maybe our lips would even touch. I wanted desperately to kiss her. Not just because the big brute was still watching us, but because I really wanted to kiss her. The moment felt right, even with all of those people crowding us. I hardly noticed them. It felt like it was just Princess and me. Together. At last.

"You're welcome." I smiled down at her. I could feel the voltage between us, but I suddenly became painfully aware of the crowd around us as the woman behind me bumped into my back.

I just couldn't kiss Princess after that. The time had passed.

We did continue to stand there, holding each other close. I never wanted to let go.

For the remainder of the ride, I kept a close eye on Princess' admirer.

As we disembarked from the bus, we saw him heading off with a group of other guys. I pulled away reluctantly and went to collect our luggage.

I began to feel awkward again as I brought the bags back to where Princess was standing.

"I, uh…" I sat the luggage down on the sidewalk for a minute. I thought I had better explain to her that I had booked myself a separate room. Why did this have to be so uncomfortable?

"I thought… "I mumbled, "I mean… I know that you and Keyop planned on rooming together, but I figured… under the circumstances… I… I booked another room, for me."

"Oh." She replied.

Great. I had to come up with something to keep the conversation going.

We walked up to the reservation desk and checked in.

"I'll meet you for dinner in a couple of hours, okay?" I suggested.

"Okay, Mark. Whatever you want." She didn't seem too happy. Did she want to have dinner with me? Why did I feel like there was something she wasn't telling me?

I walked off toward my room, feeling funny about my decision to come along with Princess on the trip.

Maybe I had done the wrong thing? Maybe she wanted to be alone?

Anyhow, I unpacked my bag and flopped down on my bed. It felt really good to lie down after not having much sleep the night before. My eyelids began to feel heavy. Maybe a few winks before dinner wouldn't hurt…


	5. Chapter 5

Snowbound: Eagle 5

My eyes flew open suddenly and I realized that I needed to meet Princess for dinner. I immediately checked the alarm clock by my bed, and breathed a sigh of relief.

After a change of clothes and a quick check in the mirror, I dabbed on a small bit of cologne. I figured if I didn't have time to shower, I should at least smell nice for my dinner date.

Wait…did I just say date? I guess it was technically a date.

I lumbered down the hall and knocked on her door. I waited. No answer. Maybe she was downstairs waiting for me.

After checking the lobby, I decided maybe I should go and wait in the bar. She'd show…eventually.

I sat quietly and nursed my drink, eyes focused on the TV screen behind the bar. It wasn't particularly interesting, but it was all I could do.

A deep voice from behind me suddenly interrupted my thoughts. "What's a sexy man like you doing in a dirty mind like mine?"

My god! Was that a man standing behind me? Or a woman?

My eyes bugged out. She appeared to be a woman, but she had a huge Adam's apple, and a very deep voice.

She continued her pursuit. "Name's Patricia. May I buy you a drink?"

"Uh…n..n..no thanks, I have one." I lifted my glass gently and turned back to watch the TV. Maybe she, or he would get the picture and just go away…

"So you're on vacation? Alone?" She mockingly clicked her tongue. Then she bent over and raised a huge manly hand close to my ear and whispered. "Such a shame. You remind me of steak, because meeting a hottie like you is rare."

Ye gods, did she call me a "steak"? I tried to keep my composure.

"I'm here to spend time with my girlfriend, ok?" I growled.

Finally, "Patricia" got up and started to walk away. "Temper, temper…such a waste of a beautiful man!"

I was totally unnerved. It was time to fly the coop.

I left the bar hastily and sat down in the lobby next to the fireplace. I began thinking about Princess and our awkward transport ride.

I really blew it with her this time. Things just never really seemed to gel for us when we were alone together.

I stared at the licking flames, beginning to wonder why I had even come on this trip in the first place.

What happened to our date? Had she already cast me off?

Ah, well, I decided I'd give her a few more minutes, and then I'd go back to my room and order room service.

Not long after I sat down, I saw Princess come in, dripping wet, with another guy. She was laughing and seemed to be having a great time. As they turned more toward me, I was able to get a look at the new guy's face…wait…was that…Jason?

"Mark!" Princess said, smiling, "Look who showed up! Tiny dropped him off before going to Aquatica."

"Hello, Jason." I groaned. This was not going to be pretty.

"Hiya, Skip." Jason grinned. "Fancy meeting you here."

Jason squeezed Princess' shoulder. His arm was draped around her as though he owned her. I had the sudden urge to wipe the smug look off of his face.

Princess looked worried. She knew she had kept me waiting.

She also knew how I hated for people to be late.

"I'm sorry, Mark." She said, hanging her head. "I know we were going to meet for dinner. But would you mind if I ran upstairs and changed quickly?"

"Sure, Princess." I said. "While you're gone, Jason and I can hang out here." I glanced over to Jason. He knew I was not a happy Eagle.

"Why not?" Jason grinned at me, flopping down in a chair.

"Hey, Prin, bring my jacket up to the room, will you?" he said as he tossed it to her.

"Sure." She mumbled, practically running out of the lobby.

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I leaned forward and shot Jason a disapproving look. "You're ROOMING together?"

Jason propped his feet up on the coffee table and leaned casually back in his chair. "It's no big deal, Mark. It's not like we're in the same bed."

"I don't like it." I spat, before I realized what I had said.

"What d'ya mean, you don't like it? It's not your business!" Jason grumbled as he shot back up, leaning in toward me.

"I mean, it doesn't look good. I don't approve of the two of you sleeping together as if you were a couple or something!" I growled back at him, leaning in toward him even more. "I mean, you might be tempted to do something you shouldn't! Then I'd have to kill you!" I could feel the flames shooting from my eyes. I really wanted to just deck him and get it over with.

"For your information, Commander, what we do off duty is none of your business! And we're all adults here! I, for one, am completely in control of my impulses. Now you have me wondering…Why are you here?" Jason sneered. He knew just how to push my buttons.

"I'm here because…Keyop asked me to go. Princess didn't want to go alone and I'm just here to…to keep her company!" I watched as Jason's grey eyes flashed in the firelight and then threw his question back at him. "What about you? I don't recall you having plans to go skiing…"

"Tiny gave me a ride. He said that Keyop was worried about Princess going skiing alone, and she needed someone to watch out for her." Jason relaxed a bit and kicked back in his chair again.

"And you think you're the guy for the job?" I questioned his intentions.

"Hell, yeah." He propped both hands behind his head. "I've already been showing her a good time….and hey, it's a free vacation. What more could a man ask for?"


	6. Chapter 6

Snowbound: Eagle 6

Unfortunately, I never got the opportunity to finish my "man-to-man" with Jason. I had just returned to my seat when I heard Princess walk up behind me. As I turned around, I all but gasped out loud at the sight of her in a crimson dress. She was stunning!

On impulse, I stood up and took her by the hand.

"Princess… you look…" I began.

"You look fantastic!" interrupted Jason, "Just like… a princess."  
I could feel my blood begin to boil. It was just like the Condor to try to compete with me.

"Yes. She does." I agreed. My eyes narrowed as I mentally warned the Condor to stay away from Princess.

Jason glared back at me, undaunted.

I thought I heard Princess mutter something about wet clothes, but I had no intention of removing my eyes from Jason. I was determined that he would get my message one way or another.

I finally turned back to Princess.

"Let's go grab some dinner, Princess." I gently pulled her by the hand. She hesitated.

"But what about Jason?" She asked. "I'm sure he's hungry too."

"Thanks, Prin." Jason grinned. "I'd love to join you for dinner."

He stood up and smirked at me as he linked his arm through hers.

I pulled her toward me just a bit, letting Jason know that he was a "third wheel" on this date. To my chagrin, Jason tugged back.

I could tell Princess was getting a little uncomfortable as she asked, "I guess we should go to the restaurant, then?"

"Great idea." I replied, and I decided to link my arm in hers as we walked toward the restaurant.

With Jason on the other side, I felt more like we were going to skip down the yellow brick road. My date with Princess was ruined. Curse that condor!

When we got to the table, Jason rushed to pull out Princess' chair. I groaned and rolled my eyes.

"Oh, Jase, you don't have to do that!" She smiled. "I can take care of myself."

Of course, Princess was a modern woman, and she liked to remind us of that fact fairly often.  
"She certainly can." I growled.

Jason's steely gray eyes narrowed. "A beautiful lady deserves to be treated with respect."

"Thank you, Jason." Princess said, smiling at him. "That's very sweet of you to say."  
I chalked one up for the Condor, but the war wasn't over yet.

"So… what should we order?" Princess chirped excitedly as she perused the menu. "Hmmm…. how about, steak?"

She looked up from her menu and winked at me. She was so adorable; it was hard for me to keep my mind on my second, even though he was intent on ruining my chances with her.

I smiled back at her and stared into her beautiful green eyes. "You know me so well, Princess."

"Did it ever occur to you," She smiled back, "that maybe steak is my favorite too?"

Hmmmm... steak...I desperately wanted to say something witty in reply but I was dumbfounded. I wondered if I should repeat the line that Patricia used on me in the bar a few hours ago. iYou remind me of steak, because meeting a hottie like you is rare... No way! It would've never worked. What was wrong with me?  
Her favorite...it almost seemed as though she was sending me some kind of secret message. Did she mean I was her favorite? I couldn't stop grinning and gazing intently into her sparkling eyes.

I completely forgot that we weren't alone until...

"I prefer Italian, myself." Jason interrupted our beautiful moment. "How about a nice chicken carbonara?"

"Ummm… if I'm going to have Italian food, I think it should be spaghetti." Princess replied, as she mimed throwing a forkful at Jason.

I chuckled in spite of myself. The spaghetti food fight we had all had at the dinner table a few years ago was etched in our minds forever. I could still see Jason plastered from head to toe in spaghetti sauce!

"I don't think so, Prin," Jason replied.

He looked Princess over as though she were a piece of meat. "I think that dress of yours looks great the way it is. I wouldn't want to get any tomato sauce on it."

"What makes you think I would get dirty?" She retaliated. "You got beaten pretty badly last time."

"Only because you had help."

"I have help this time!" She protested. "Mark is on my side."  
Then she turned to me for support. "Aren't you, Mark?"

"Anything to show this guy who's boss." I grinned.

"See?" She stated, triumphantly. "You're one dead bird, Condor."

Jason put his hands up in mock surrender.

"Well then, I guess I should stick with the carbonara." he said.

"I'm going for the steak." Princess replied.  
I could feel her steady gaze burn through me as she asked, "What about you, Mark?"

There was no way I was going to order anything but steak.

"I'm having the steak too." I replied. "You have excellent taste, Princess."

I couldn't keep the grin from spreading across my face again, and I impulsively reached for her hand under the table and gave it a light squeeze.

Chalk one up for the Eagle.

I continued to watch Princess as our conversation turned to skiing. Her face was glowing. I didn't know when I had seen her look more beautiful. It was hard for me to focus on the conversation and stay civil with Jason...but I tried my best.

I realized a bit later that I needed to excuse myself and go to the men's room. Oh, how I hated to leave Jason with my beautiful Swan...even if it was just for a moment. There was no telling what damage he was capable of.

Unfortunately, I was right. My jaw dropped as I returned from the restroom to find that Jason had indeed taken advantage of my absence.

Jason and Princess were holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes.

As I regarded my comrades, the anger brewing inside was beginning to get the best of me. I decided it would be best to slip into "Commander Mode" to deal with the situation. Sometimes being a "commanding officer" came in handy.

"What is going on here?" I asked.

Princess had a look of horror on her face as she jerked her hands away from Jason.

"M… Mark…" she stuttered, "It's not what it looks like…"

"And what does it look like?" I asked. It was difficult for me to keep my emotions in check.

I watched the Condor's eyes narrow as he lunged forward and confronted me. The guy had a lot of nerve.

"Give her a break, man!" he shouted. "We were just talking!"

My jaw clenched and I could feel my rage bursting forth from deep inside.

I moved in closer, daring him to make one false move as I replied. "You seem pretty defensive for a guy who was just 'talking'."

Ever the peacemaker, Princess stood up and tried to diffuse the situation.

"Look, guys…I'm not sure what's going on between you, but this needs to be worked out… now. Whatever it is can't just be allowed to fester. We would never be able to work as a team."

She was right…only she didn't fully understand what was at stake here. I stared blankly at her, unable to utter a meaningful response.

"I think I should leave you guys alone, to figure this out." She continued. "I'll see you both in the morning, and by that time you both had better have worked this out."

I watched her leave with remorse in my heart over what had happened. I hated that our evening together had turned into a verbal sparring match. There were so many things I wanted to say to her. I wanted to rush after her, apologize for my behavior, and tell her exactly how I felt about her, but my pride wouldn't let me.


	7. Chapter 7

Snowbound:Eagle-7

My temper exploded as I watched my Swan leave Jason and me to "work things out." I didn't want to work it out. I just wanted to give the Condor a one way ticket back home, so I could enjoy the rest of the vacation.

However, Princess would never forgive us if we didn't, and that could make for many more "uncomfortable moments" in my life.

I turned back and eyed the Condor. He was scowling back at me when he pounded his fist on the table in anger.

"See what you did?" He challenged.

"What I did?" I could feel the scowl creeping back onto my face. "You overstepped your bounds this time, Condor. What the hell were you thinking by getting cozy with Princess?"

"Last time I checked, Commander, we were off duty…or do you even know what that means?"

"Off duty or not, Princess is your teammate, not some chick you picked up at the bar!" My heart rate quickened as I raised my voice and stepped closer to my second.

Jason stood up and stared straight into my eyes."Then what's your excuse, Commander? You seem to think of her as some groupie, like she's only worthy of a few small tidbits that you might toss her way. At least I would be willing to show her the type of love that she deserves."

The rage I was feeling at that moment exploded out of me. "What type is that Jason, the kind that you show to the girls around the track? Now would that really be any better?"

On or off duty, Jason always stood his ground.

"Damn it, Mark, You know I don't think of her like that! At least I'm not intent on breaking her heart. I give her the attention she deserves, the attention she would get from a lot more men…if you weren't hovering over her reminding her about 'duty' all the time. You don't want her, but you won't let anyone else have her either. It's bullshit and you know it!" He fired back at me.

I suddenly felt like I was spiraling out of control.

I turned my back to him and then heard him slam his hand on the table and storm off toward the bar.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

This was Jason, my brother and best friend, I was talking to…and some of what he said was true.

After a few minutes, I decided to join him at the bar. Like it or not, we had to clear the air... for Princess' sake.

We stood quietly side by side, nursing our drinks, and finally, I broke the silence.

"You know your partially right Jason."

Jason coughed and sputtered, partially spilling his drink. "Did I just hear you right?"

"You're right. " I repeated. "About me not wanting anyone else to have her. You know that Princess and I have always had a special connection. I just couldn't bring myself to take it to the next level. I mean, it just didn't seem right, me being the Commander, and all."

"So, then…why'd you come here?" Jason asked. He appeared to be calming down as he sat back down at the table. I joined him.

"Same reason as you." I smirked at him. "Quality time with our Swan."

"Yeah, she's pretty special, isn't she?" Jason shared a rare moment of true feelings.

I picked up my glass and took a sip of what was left of my drink. " So…you have feelings for her?"

Jason leaned in and grinned. "We both do. Question is…does she have feelings for either one of us after all this?"

We both chuckled at Jason's observation.

Here we were fighting over who would get the Swan, as if she were a prize in a contest, and not even considering that she might actually have her own opinion about the situation.

Just as we were patching things up, trouble came in the form of Pete and a few of his buddies. I had hoped I had seen the last of him.

"Looky here guys," The big oaf drawled," It's the gay lovers... It's a wonder that they gave up their time to spend with Patty. Seeing how 'shes' their type and all."

He completed his taunt by kicking over our table. Our quick reflexes allowed Jason and I to grab our drinks before they, too, became a casualty.

Without speaking a word, I glanced over to Jason and communicated my plan of attack. No more playing around. This time, Pete would feel the wrath of the Eagle _and_ the Condor.

I watched a feral grin spread over my second's face as he smashed one of Pete's cronies in the nose, and stopped another one from hitting him mid swing.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Patricia come running up to us, flapping her hands in the air and begging us to stop fighting.

"Please don't fight over me, boys!" She howled. " There's enough of me to go around!"

Ignoring her presence, I kept my attention focused on the drunken idiot whom I was holding up in midair by the collar.

It gave me great pleasure to slam Pete's head into the edge of the overturned table. There'd be no more talk about stealing my "hot girlfriend" or "gay lovers" on this trip.

After the commotion ceased, Jason and I stared intensively at the others and watched them hastily retreat.

"You'll pay for this. I'll have my revenge!" Pete mumbled as he staggered away. Patricia galloped off behind him, attempting to tend to his wounds.

I tried to hide the grin that was beginning to twist the corners of my mouth. Pete was truly a pitiful sight. He was damn lucky I didn't kill him. Maybe Patricia would do it for me.

We gazed around the hushed bar. All eyes were focused on us.

The owners were busy trying to clean up our mess."Those guys are regular troublemakers around here. " They explained.

Although they were thankful to be rid of Pete and his gang, they also wanted us to leave. We dropped some money on the counter to pay for their trouble, and walked outside in the snow to cool off.

We chuckled to ourselves as we scooped up mounds of snow, packed them tightly together and chucked them at each other like school kids. I guess it reminded us of the days when we were just training and going to school... when we didn't have the weight of the entire world on our shoulders.

We were soaked to the bone, and laughing...having a great time, when suddenly Jason stopped and mentioned something that had no doubt been bothering him.

"Man, I was glad you finally got the balls to take that Pete guy out. What was with you earlier? You acted like you were his long lost pal, or something..."

I suddenly exploded in uncontrollable laughter. Jason's eyes knit together as he regarded my bizarre reaction.

Once I gained my composure, I explained. "I introduced him to Patricia. I met her at the bar earlier while you were out with Princess. She's a transvestite!"

Jason joined me in my revelry. We were both rolling in the snow, hysterical over my practical joke.

Jason then proceeded to playfully smack me in the head with a snowball. "You moron! So that's why they were so mad!"

"Hey," I shrugged, still chuckling as snow slid out of my hair into my face, " I thought Patty might be his type!"

Around an hour later we both were fairly worn out and practically drenched by the snow that covered our bodies.

We were smiling as we lumbered inside together. We had established an understanding of sorts.

I loved this guy like a brother…and I wanted to see him happy. So if it meant I would lose my Swan to him because she was in love with him, so be it. I desperately wanted Princess to be happy, too, but I hoped her happiness would come from being with me.

However, if her feelings for me were the deepest, nothing in the world and nobody, not even Jason, would stop me from making her mine.

We both retired to our respective rooms knowing that the next few days could possibly change the course of our lives.


	8. Chapter 8

Snowbound: Eagle- 8

The next morning, I sat at the table sipping orange juice and wondering if Jason had kept his hands off Princess during the night. I knew he had been drinking, and with Jun sleeping in the bed next to him, there was no telling what could've happened.

I was tempted to call and find out if Princess was ok, but deep down I knew that she could handle herself if things got too rough.

Suddenly, a light scent of Jasmine wafted by, and I played it cool. I felt delicate, warm hands lightly mask my eyes.

"Guess who?" She teased. That soft voice was unmistakably Princess. I was relieved.

I turned around and feigned surprise.

"Princess! I was hoping to run into you here."

Her eyes sparkled. My eyes immediately slid down the length of her body, which was sensuously draped in a lavender ski suit. She was striking!

"You were?" She grinned. "And here, I thought you were hoping for a visit from Zoltar."

"Seeing you is _slightly_ better." I laughed. I couldn't keep from staring. It wasn't often that I got to see her out of uniform, and it was such a treat.

"What is that you're wearing, Princess?"

Her smile faded.

"It's my new ski outfit." She explained. "The Chief had it made for me in the lab."

I had said too much. I hoped she wasn't angry at me for ogling. I was a man, after all. I debated whether I should apologize for my lewd thoughts, but then decided against it.

My only reply was, "I see…well, he certainly has good taste."

A compliment couldn't hurt.

"You think so?" She beamed.

I had to think of something else to say, I could tell she wanted to hear more, but I just wasn't good at this.

"You look great, Princess." It was the best I could come up with. Let's face it, the Eagle didn't cut it where flirting was concerned. Jason had always been my "wing man".

"I guess I should go get some food." She finally changed the subject. "The lifts open in twenty minutes."

Relief flooded over me and I smiled back at her. "I'll be waiting for you."

When she returned, I was surprised to see how much food my dainty Swan packed on her plate. Had she worked up an appetite with Jason?

"I didn't think you were that hungry, Princess." I remarked.

"Oh, it's not all for me." She explained. "I figured Jason would want something when he came down."

"Oh." After hearing her response, I really was wondering if anything had happened in that hotel room. Why was she so concerned about Jason?

"You were right about that." Jason said, coming up to the table. "I'm starving! Thanks Prin!"

I clenched my teeth as I watched him grab food off of Princess' plate as if they were a couple. He was just a bit too friendly with her for my liking.

I tried my best to be polite. I didn't want to upset Princess. "Good morning, Jason. Did you get much sleep?"

"A couple of hours." Jason replied. "It's all I needed. Especially with this hot ski bunny waking me up."

"I thought we established that it was the _suns_ that woke you up?" She giggled.

They exchanged a playful glance.

I couldn't stand it… I just couldn't keep from glaring at the Condor. I could easily wipe that smirk right off of his face.

"Look, Mark." Princess intervened yet again, "Jason said that you two worked out your issues last night."

"Yeah, we did." I replied. I was shocked that she had picked up on my emotional state so quickly. I never was very good at hiding my feelings…at least, with her.

"Good. Then I won't have to play referee again on the slopes this morning?" She chided.

"No." I promised. I tried to lighten the mood. "We'll behave ourselves. Won't we, Jason?"

"As far as you know…" Jason winked at me and sent my blood pressure skyrocketing again. That guy would be the death of me.


	9. Chapter 9

Snowbound Eagle- 9

I stood outside with Princess and Jason, amazed at the beauty of the Alps. It was rare for any of us to have the time to stop and marvel at the scenery, and I was glad that Princess enjoyed nature as much as I did.

"It's gorgeous…" She gasped.

I grimaced as "Mr. Hotshot Skier", himself, clad in a leather jacket and shades, smirked and whispered something in her ear that caused her rosy cheeks to become even rosier.

Then, he dashed away toward a trail marker.

Good riddance I thought.

With him gone, she was all mine. She looked so beautiful staring out into the mountains with that self satisfied little smirk on her face.

I allowed my thoughts to drift as I continued to admire the Swan's beauty. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold, and small puffs of white steam billowed out as she breathed in the crisp mountain air.

Before I realized it, a comment just slipped out.

"Wow…"

"Just what I was thinking." She turned and smiled at me.

I had actually been thinking about her when I said, "Wow," but I allowed her to think I was appreciating the view.

I secretly wondered if she had caught on that I was admiring her more than the scenery.

I grinned as I bent down to lace up my loose ski boot. "I'm glad we were up early to see this, before the crowds of people."

"I'm glad someone sees my point of view." She replied. "You wouldn't believe how much convincing it took to get Jason out of bed this morning."

"Well, it looks like he's off to a roaring start now." I watched the Condor expertly cutting through the snow toward the marker. "Why don't we just take this trail over here and meet him at the bottom?"

"Sounds good to me." Princess giggled as she dashed off for the trail, leaving me behind.

"Hey! Not Fair!" I chuckled, as I raced to catch up to her.  
As I passed her I heard a long, slow whistle.

Was she whistling for me? I wondered.

I stopped and waited for her at a plateau on the hill.

"What took you so long?" I grinned.

She winked back at me. "Just admiring the view."

I could feel my face burning. Only, it wasn't from the cold wind on my cheeks this time; I was blushing!

I tried to hide it as best as I could. I hastily decided two could play the flirting game.

"You were looking very good out there. You haven't lost any of your skill."

Her rosy cheeks reddened even more as she grinned and glanced self consciously at the ground.

"Thanks. You weren't looking too bad yourself." She replied quietly.

I reached for her hand and pretended to guide her back to the lifts. It felt so nice to hold her hand, even though there were gloves between us.

My nerves got the best of me as we rode the lift up the mountain. I couldn't think of anything to say. We had already talked about the scenery.

I finally decided that if I couldn't think of anything clever to say, it was best to keep my mouth shut. I was an Eagle of few words, and I knew she liked me that way.

Instead, I just clutched her hand tightly. I didn't ever want to let go.

We managed to get in three more runs before encountering Jason again. He was just joining the lift line as we reached the bottom.

"Where have you guys been?" he hailed us. "I lost you on the first run and have been looking for you ever since."

"We've just been going down the trails." Princess smiled. "Having fun. You know… skiing."

"I see…" Jason replied.

He gave me the "Evil Condor" glare when he noticed her hand in mine, but I didn't care. She was with me; and that was all I cared about.

I knew he'd try to even the score. When we got to the front of the lift line, Jason grabbed her hand and pulled her up with him.

The lift chairs only sat two people, and the jerk purposely left me with the chair behind them.

I grew even more aggravated with my second's antics when I saw him quickly whisk the Swan away in an effort to get her alone.

As much as I hated to admit it, this had become a competition- Condor vs. Eagle- and I was determined to catch up to them and win her back.

I decided to go it alone for a while, and ski solo until I could catch up with my comrades. Damn that Jason, I'd get even!

Later on, I couldn't wipe the grin on my face as I watched Princess and Jason arrive at the top of the lift.

"What are you doing here, Skip?" Jason scowled as they disembarked.

"Waiting for you, of course." I replied. My eyes were glued to the Swan as she glided gracefully up to me. It was as if Jason no longer existed.

"Well, here we are." Jason answered. "Which trail did you want to use?"

"Actually, I thought it might be time to grab some lunch." I pointed toward the snack bar. "I know Princess and I had a pretty exhausting morning."

I couldn't resist giving Prin a playful wink.

We had a connection. I knew it. She knew it. Even Jason knew it… and no Condor was going to ruin my day.

She smiled shyly back at me. "I'm so sorry we left without you, before, Mark. Going down the mountain wasn't the same without you."

Ahhhhh…yes! I hoped the Condor heard that.

"That's okay, Princess." I replied.

I gleefully smirked at the Condor. I could tell he was clenching his teeth.

"It gave me a chance to enjoy the scenery." I grabbed her hand yet again, and we headed in for lunch.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that we had somehow avoided the lunch rush.

"Where is everyone?" Princess asked.

"I don't know." replied Jason, with a concerned look.

A passing busboy heard Princess.

"It's the weather." He offered. "There's a big storm coming up, and they're recommending that everyone go back to the lodge."

Hmmmm. So much for skiing. I figured my chances of being alone with my Swan might be better if we stayed indoors, and Jason knew it.

"So, do you think we should go back?" Jason asked Princess.

She appeared to be in a daze. "Huh?"

Evidently, she was getting really tired.

"Go back. Or do you want to stay out?" Jason repeated.

Jason paid no attention to how she was feeling. Sometimes he could be so selfish.

I was beginning to worry about her. I knew she was just as strong and capable as the rest of us, but I couldn't help my protective feelings over her. She wasn't the kind to admit if she was feeling sick or tired.

I was pleased to hear her suggest, "I think we can grab a quick lunch, and then go back."

"Alright." Jason agreed.

We hastily ate some space burgers and fries, and then made our way outside. It looked bright and sunny. The news of an impending storm almost seemed like a joke.

However, we were all aware of the unpredictable weather on Frozatica.

"Let's just go back this way." I suggested we take the blue trail, just in case the weather changed unexpectedly.

"Are you nuts?" Jason scoffed. "If this is the last run of the day, we should make the most of it. Let's head over to the Double Diamond run."

"That's pretty difficult terrain, Jason." I retorted. "And there's no marked trail."

"So? Too difficult for you, Commander?" Jason taunted. He was trying to make me look bad.

Remarkably, I kept my composure. "No. I just think we should get back to the lodge as quickly as possible."

"Let's just get back. Who knows when this storm will hit?" She added. I was happy to hear Princess agree with me.

Jason looked disappointed, but with two against one, he acquiesced.

We started off down the blue trail, easily taking the few twists and turns it offered. At one point, it got close to a forested area.

It wasn't long before the Condor was up to his old tricks again. He suddenly grabbed Princess and led her into the forest.

There was no way I was going to let them lose me again. I followed close behind.

The sound of thunder began to echo throughout the valley. A nagging feeling inside me warned of impending danger, and I rushed toward my comrades.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I snapped at Jason.

"Shh!" Jason replied angrily. "Don't you hear that?"

We all stood in silence for a moment, listening. The muted rumble was getting louder.

Princess and I simultaneously recognized the source of the sound.

"Avalanche!" I shouted.

I stared into my teammates' eyes as I slipped effortlessly into "Commander Mode". "Listen to me, Princess. We are all going to link arms, and get out of here as quickly as possible. Don't let go. We don't want to become separated."

She nodded quickly, and Jason and I each took one of her arms as we moved off again down the mountain.

We found our way back to the blue trail, which was devoid of life.

We were the only people still out here.

No matter how swiftly we retreated, it wasn't fast enough.

The rumble surged to a deafening roar, and before we knew it, the snow had overtaken us, knocking us to the ground.

The last thing I heard was her panicked cry. "Mark!"

It broke my heart. I was unable to come to her aid. Helpless.

White waves tossed my body around as I frantically grabbed for Princess' hand.

She was depending on me, and there was no way I'd let her down.


	10. Chapter 10

Snowbound- Eagle 10

My heart was thumping wildly as I groped around in the snow for Princess. I dug my way out of the snow, and noticed that Jason had found his way out as well.

We both called out for Princess as soon as we could catch our breath.

I suddenly noticed a gloved hand sticking out of the snow.

"Jason! Over here!" I shouted. Jason rushed over to help me pull Princess out of the snow.

I mentally panicked when I noticed she wasn't breathing.

I knew I didn't have to give the order; Jason immediately started CPR.

I silently watched the scene as if it was a movie. I couldn't help but to feel a pang of jealousy that he was pressing his lips to hers in an effort to breathe life into her.  
I wanted to be the one to save her...but I knew that Jason was the one with the paramedic skils.

It couldn't have been real. I felt as though I was having an out of body experience. Surely my Swan wasn't dead.

My thoughts drifted back to the time I thought I had killed her. She had been taken from me by the woman eating flowers. I had promised myself that I would never let anything happen to her again. And I had failed her.

I was so angry at myself for letting it happen. I was supposed to protect her…and now, those same feelings were surfacing again.

Tears began to gather around the corners of my eyes. I silently prayed that Jason could bring her back to me. At this moment, I didn't care what else happened, I just wanted Princess back.

Jason paused for a moment and peered back at me. "She's going to be ok, Mark. She's breathing again."

I breathed a sigh of relief. I could feel my knees shaking as I looked around at the deep snowdrifts.

The snow was falling much heavier, and I knew we had to get Princess to some sort of shelter.

"It's getting dark," I exclaimed as I walked over and scooped up the Swan. "We'd better transmute and find some shelter. We must be miles away from the lodge."

We trudged on through the storm for what seemed like hours. I kept my wings wrapped tightly around Princess as I walked beside Jason.

"Look over there!" He shouted. His voice was muted by the wind.

I saw a cave in the distance. At the very least we would be out of the elements for the night.

We plodded through the deep snowdrifts, making our way into the cave. I gently laid Princess down on the earthen floor.

"Here, Jase, take care of Princess while I try to block the mouth of the cave. We need to keep the wind out." I ordered.

Jason nodded silently and bent down to attend to the Swan.

After barricading us in, I returned to check on Princess. The light was growing dim, but I could still see her chest rising and falling slightly as she breathed.

"How is she?" I asked.

"Still unconscious." Jason answered grimly. "We really need to get her to a doctor. She may have internal injuries."

After hearing the bad news, I momentarily lost my temper. "What kind of paramedic are you?" I grumbled. "It's your fault we're in this mess! If you wouldn't have led her off the trail…"

"It's not like we could've escaped that avalanche! Or did you fail to realize the size of that thing?" Jason argued back in his usual sarcastic manner. "Besides, do you have a first aid kit and medical equipment on you? I didn't think so! And unless you can do better, I'd suggest you back off, Commander!"

Jason stood up and leaned against the wall in his typical Condor pose.

I glared at Jason, but chose to ignore the Condor and focus on Princess instead. I bent down and cupped my hand around Princess' face.

"Hang on Princess. Don't leave me." I kept silent watch over her for a while. It was quiet inside the cave except for the howling wind outside.

I momentarily glanced over at the brooding Condor. I knew that Jason didn't like this helpless feeling any more than I did, and that he was hurting inside as well.

Things looked bleak.

I turned and guarded my face as the tears began to trickle down. It killed me to see Princess in this condition.

In an unexpected twist, Jason reassured me. He could see how worried I was.

"It'll be ok, Skip. Her implants will heal her and she'll be fine. You'll see." He walked up and placed his hand on my shoulder as we watched for any sign of improvemnt in the Swan.

For the moment, Jason and I were no longer adversaries. We were brothers.. 


	11. Chapter 11

Snowbound Eagle- 11

I heard a soft moan from Princess as she awoke from her unconscious state. I rushed to her side.

"What… what happened?" She muttered.

Seeing her awake made me tremble with joy.

"Princess! It's great to see you awake."  
"Mark..." She cooed, giving me a weak smile.

Her smile made me feel warm all over.

Jason cut into our conversation. He almost sounded angry at her. "You really frightened us, Prin."  
"When we pulled you out of the snow you… you were unconscious." I explained. "We weren't sure you were going to come out of it."

"I'm fine…" She replied softly. "Just a little achy. It feels like I've spent an entire day fighting Spectran soldiers."

Jason grinned as he wrapped his wings tightly around Princess. No doubt, he was enjoying having her in his lap, and he wanted to make sure that I knew it. "I'm pretty achy myself."

Pervert! This wasn't about Jason...it was about Princess...and if he didn't get his mind out of the gutter soon, our team would be sans Condor! I shot him an evil look.

"Well, we got thrown around by that avalanche pretty badly." Jason explained.

I turned my attention back to Princess. "Can you stand, Princess? We need to… figure out if you've got any broken bones."

"Okay…" She agreed, shakily pulling herself up. She shivered in the cold. "Wow! It sure is cold in here! Wings are definitely warmer!"

"Exactly what I was saying." smirked Jason.

I suggested that she transmute immediately for some added protection from the weather.  
After the brief flash of light from her transmutation, she noticed that the cave had been blocked off with snow and ice.  
"Why is the entrance all blocked off?" She asked.

"The storm." I said, "It's pretty bad, and this way most of it stays out of here."

"Unfortunately, we couldn't find anything to start a fire with." Jason added. "Everything is soaked."

She continued to question us. "And how far are we from the lodge?"

"Uncertain." I answered. "The avalanche carried us pretty far away."

"Anyhow, we didn't have much time to look, with the storm getting worse." Jason explained. "We had to find shelter, fast. We can try to make it back to the lodge in the morning."

"How long was I out?" She asked.

I rubbed my chin as I gazed out at the darkening sky. "I'm not sure… a few hours. It's almost night, now."  
I looked over at Princess. She had a look of concern on her face that softened after a few moments.

She smiled at me as she began to speak. "Thanks for taking such good care of me."

I winced inwardly. I wish it had been me that had taken care of her.  
However, I had to give credit where credit was due. "Well, actually… it was Jason who did most of that."

"Thanks to you, too, Jason." She said, smiling at the Condor.  
"I'd say… 'anytime'… but I don't want you ever doing that again, Prin." Jason grinned. "Two injuries in two days are enough for me!"

Had I heard him right? "Two injuries? What are you talking about?" I grumbled as I frowned at Jason.

"Oh, I fell off of my snowmobile yesterday, when Jason and I were fooling around." Princess explained. "It was nothing. My cerebonics fixed it up in no time."

"I see." I kept my eyes fixed on the Condor as the tone of my voice gave away my irritation. How could he let anything happen to her? This only proved that the Swan would be better off with me.

Princess picked up on my anger and incorrectly assumed it was directed at her.

"Oh come on, Mark!" Princess cried, crossing her arms. "I'm not that much of a klutz! Like it's my fault that the avalanche overtook us!"

"No, Princess." I replied, eyes still locked in on the Condor. "It's not _your_ fault."

"Then lay off!" She said defensively, "Not everything goes the way you plan it, you know."

"That's what I always say." Jason added smugly.

"And you stop doing that, Jason." Princess said, whirling to face the Condor.

"What?" he asked in surprise.

"I'm not stupid." She replied angrily. "I know how you like to push Mark's buttons, and it's not fair, especially when he's stressed out enough as it is."

"Okay… okay." he said, holding up his hands. "You have a point. But it's too cold to argue."

Princess shivered. "True."

I felt the need to shelter and protect her. That shiver sent me over the edge. I had to think of an excuse to get closer to her.

"Maybe we should all get closer… share body heat." I suggested.

"Huh?" Jason and Princess were both surprised by my suggestion.

"It's in the Survival Handbook." I shrugged. "Section 31." At least I had the facts to back myself up this time.

"Uh huh…"Jason cast a sly glance at me. He knew what I was up to. I was really surprised he didn't kid me about wanting to get close to Princess.

Maybe the cold froze his mouth shut. That would be the only thing that would make being stuck in a cave with him worthwhile.

We somehow maneuvered Princess in between us and sat down, huddling near the cave wall.

"So… now what?" She asked. "Do we just wait for morning?"

"Pretty much." I answered. "There's not much else we can do here. I think we're reasonably safe from the storm, but there's not much else we can do until the weather lets up, and it gets light again."

"Okay. "Princess nodded gently. She seemed content to snuggle in between us for the night.

"I'm sorry if I scared you guys." She said. "I promise not to black out again."

I grinned back at her. "That's okay, Princess. I was just glad that you were with us. I hate to think of what would have happened if you had been alone."

"I'm just glad you're okay." Jason added.

Princess gave my arm a squeeze. "I'm glad you guys were with me too."

"I'm scared…"She admitted.

"Don't be scared, Prin." Jason said, "There's nothing out there but the storm."

"No, silly… not of the storm." She answered back. "I'm scared of dying… alone."

That comment took me by surprise. I sat quietly beside her as the storm howled outside the cave and pondered my own mortality.

Princess broke the silence as she continued her thought. "I'm not afraid of dying. I know it could happen anytime in our fight against Spectra. But… I don't want to be alone. If we had to die… I would want it to be together."

"I don't want to die alone, either." I admitted. "But my biggest fear is that I might let one of you die…"

There was something about the silent, cold darkness that allowed my emotional barriers to come crashing down. It felt good to talk about things on a personal level for a change.

Neither of them knew what it was like to be the one who was responsible for the safety of the team. Their lives were in my hands on a daily basis. They trusted me...

I felt Princess' head drop to my shoulder in a motion of support. "You would never let one of us die, Mark. We all knew what we signed up for when we joined G-Force. We've chosen this path."

I slipped my hand into hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. It was so nice to have someone there who believed in me more than I believed in myself.

"Dying doesn't scare me at all." Jason said softly, almost like we weren't even there.

"Even dying alone…" he continued. "That's nothing. But living alone… that's another thing altogether."

Princess sounded concerned. "What do you mean, Jason?"

"I mean… sometimes I hate this life. The way it separates us from everyone else. It's so… solitary." he explained.

She reassured the Condor in much the same way she reassured me. "You're not alone, Jason. I'm here with you. I'm here to live life with you. For as long as we have."

I didn't know what we would do without her around.

She had always been the heart of the team, but I really didn't like the idea of her sharing her heart with Jason. In the darkness, I could barely make out her giving the Condor a hug.

"Thanks, Prin." he said quietly.

"I meant it, Jase."

She must have felt my pangs of jealousy, because she turned back to address me.

"And the same goes for you. You're not letting me do anything. Whatever I do, it's because I want to follow you. Got it?"

"Yes, Princess." I grinned.

"I'm here for you guys too." Jason said. "I'll protect you, no matter what."

"I thought that was my job." I protested, in an amused tone.

"And here I thought you two needed me to protect you!" Princess giggled.

Her laughter was contagious, and we all joined in with her, in spite of the deep freeze all around us.

We sat there silently for a while, a bundle of wings and warm emotions.

Finally, I heard the other two yawning, and I decided it was my cue to check outside the cave once more before we fell asleep.

I returned to find Jason and Princess wrapped tightly together in a neat little bundle. They looked a little too comfortable for my liking.

"Watch yourself, Condor!" I warned.

"I'd rather watch Prin." Jason quipped.

It was best just to ignore him for now. We'd need plenty of rest to make our way back to the lodge in the morning. But I just couldn't stand to see him sharing his wings with my Swan.

"As Commander, I should be sharing my wings with Princess." I insisted.

"Don't worry about it, Mark." Jason teased. "Besides, my wings are longer than yours anyway."

What was he incenuating? That longer wings meant longer...?

I grunted my disappoval as I started to correct him.

Princess unknowingly came to my rescue. "That's okay, Mark. I'm happy to share both of your wings."

After a final check around the cave, I took off my helmet and reclined on the other side of Princess.

"Get back over here, Commander." She whispered and reached out to me. "The Survival Manual says that we have to share body heat, remember?"

That good old Survival Manual. I made a mental note to reread it, maybe there would be some more rules I could quote that would come in handy.

I inched slowly back to her and pulled my wings over her. I felt her lower arm slip under my neck, and her upper arm drape over my chest.

So this was what it was like to sleep with her. I found myself wishing that Jason wasn't around as the urge to turn around and kiss her overcame me.

I laid there, unable to sleep, concerned about my comrades' safety, listening to Princess' soft, rhythmic breathing behind me. She must've felt secure lying between Jason and me, because she fell asleep rather quickly. I also realized that her body still had some healing to do from the avalanche. Oh, how I wished I could've been tucking her into a safe, warm bed, and slipping beneath the covers beside her.

Finally, the urge to kiss her became too powerful for me to resist. I twisted my body so that I was facing hers, and so that I was staring into the peaceful visage of the Swan.

Her soft, pink lips seduced me, but I just couldn't get the nerve to kiss them. I was so afraid that she, or even Jason would wake up.

I was truthful when I stated that my biggest fear was losing one of them...but I aso had another huge fear...losing control.

The Eagle must be in control at all times...even these. Sigh

I bent forward and placed my lips on the Swan's forehead instead. She almost seemed to smile as I pulled away and forced myself to turn back around with my back facing her again.

"Good night, my beautiful Swan." I sighed. A kiss on the forehead would have to do... for now. 


	12. Chapter 12

Snowbound Eagle- 12

  
An undoubtedly feminine moan from behind me woke me up immediately. It took me a few minutes to realize where I was.

Then the memories began to flood my brain. The avalanche…the cave…Princess unconscious…the cuddling…the kiss…

I kissed her on the forehead! I silently prayed that she wasn't awake for that. I felt her arm pull me closer and her warm breath against the back of my ear. Ye gods, this was tempting!

Then, I heard a deeper, more masculine groan coming from behind Princess. 

Jason…

I reluctantly slipped out of Princess' warm embrace to check the cave entrance. It annoyed me to see the two of them so close and comfortable with each other.

"Hey, time to get up." I ordered.

"No…" Princess mumbled, still groggy. "Just one more minute…"

Why was she so happy to be snuggled up with Jason?

I tried again. "Get up, Princess."

This time, her eyes snapped open. Maybe she'd realize that she was inappropriately close to the Condor and act accordingly.

"Oh!" She suddenly exclaimed, pulling abruptly away from Jason.

"Man… that's cold!" Jason complained.

"Get up, Jason!" I demanded.

"I am up…" Jason gave a sleepy smirk in my direction. I immediately knew what he was referencing. I had experienced a little "extra bulge" in my birdstyle, as well, this morning. Having Princess that close to me was so enticing…

I glared my warning to the Condor. His inappropriate remarks in mixed company never ceased. Luckily, his remarks flew right over Princess' head.

"Come on, Mark." She said, "It's hard to go from 'warm and cozy' to 'cold and awake' in three seconds."

I continued to glare at the Condor. I mentally dared him to make any more stupid comments. If Princess caught on, she'd be terribly embarrassed, and uncomfortable.

"Maybe we should try to make a fire now." Jason snickered. "We've got plenty of wood…"

"You're not helping, Jason!" She waggled her finger at Jason in reprimand. She hated to see the two of us butting heads.

"Sorry…" he grinned. "It's just that lying on the ground all night made me feel so stiff."

I chewed on my cheek for a bit, still staring him down. I wanted to lay into him, but I knew our fighting would only upset Princess, and she had been through enough already.

All I wanted to do was just get her back to the lodge and relax with her in front of a warm fireplace. Jason could go to Hell, for all I cared.

"Is anyone hungry?" Princess offered. She was desperately trying to get us to stop glaring at each other.

I knew Princess was still talking about food, but I was ready to pluck and de-bone a Condor. Maybe we could even roast him over an open fire…

"Huh?" asked Jason.

"I'm. Hungry. Need. Food." Princess repeated, exaggerating each word. I could tell she was a little miffed at us.

"Want. To. Eat. MRE." She continued, pulling the food pack out from her wings.

"Damn, I had forgotten that we had those." Jason muttered. "I've always been kind of scared about what kind of food they can fit in those packets."

"Well, anything sounds good right about now." I put in. "Thanks for reminding us, Princess."

I dug out my own food pack and opened it.

Jason and Princess peered over my shoulder, attempting to see what was inside.

I smirked when I noticed what the entrée of the morning was…Spaghetti. It immediately brought back memories of our colossal food fight.

"I guess Jason's in deep trouble now!" Princess giggled. "It's still two against one!"

"Hey, at least it's Italian!" Jason grinned. "No steak for you two!"

I couldn't help but smile.

We all sat down and began to eat. After a few bites, Jason spoke.

"You know, Meals Ready to Eat isn't the right name for these things." he said.

"What do you mean?" Princess asked.

"It's really one big lie." Jason explained. "It's not a Meal, it's not Ready, and I can't Eat it."

"Well, maybe MRE actually stands for Munitions Resembling Edibles." Princess joked.

I added in my two cents. "Or, Meals Rejected by the Enemy!"

I was pleased to be eating in a more relaxed atmosphere. Princess certainly had the "magic touch" when it came to diffusing arguments.

As we finished eating, Princess spoke up.

"I'm going to head back that way." She pointed her finger deeper into the cave. "I'll be back in a minute."

Why in the world would she want to do that?

"Why?" I asked. "Maybe we should go with you. Who knows what's back there?"

"Uh… I'm not going too far." She said, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "Nature calls… you know…"

"Oh." Ask a dumb question…

My face heated up in an instant blush as I realized what she was referring to.

I looked over at Jason, as he jammed a plastic fork into his mouth.

"What was with the comments this morning?" I scowled.

Jason looked up, his expression unchanged. "What comments?"

I stood up and chucked my empty MRE package against the wall. "Don't play dumb with me, Condor! What were you trying to do? Embarrass her?"

I walked over and started to pull chunks of snow and ice down out of the entrance. At least I could put my anger to good use. Jason joined in.

Jason's smirk twisted across his face. "Are you trying to insinuate something there, Skip? Is there something I should know?"

"Morning wood…erections…you idiot! All those euphemisms…totally unnecessary!" I barked.

Man, that guy ruffled my feathers!

"Hey…" Jason jeered. "…are you worried about her being embarrassed? Or was it you who was embarrassed? 'Cause I know that you had to make a few adjustments yourself! I saw you adjusting when you were checking out the cave entrance this morning!"

My mouth gaped open at his revelation. I thought they were both asleep…

Jason chuckled and then continued. "Relax, Skip…she didn't get any of it. Our little innocent Swan is still as pure as the snow outside! But hey, she'd probably be proud that her hot bod provoked such a response from two of the most eligible bachelors in the solar system!"

I scowled again as I responded to him. "Well, she had better remain pure and sweet…and I'd better not hear any more foul remarks from you Condor, or I'll…"

"Shhhh…" Jason touched his index finger to his lips. "Here she comes."

I balled up a fist in response.

Jason just chuckled to himself. He was enjoying every minute of my discomfort.

As Princess walked up to us, we had just pulled away enough snow blocking the cave entrance for us to depart. It was bright and sunny outside.

"Which way is the lodge?" She asked.

"It should be that way," I pointed, "based on where the avalanche deposited us yesterday."

Jason grunted in agreement.

"Let's go, then." She said.

"I wish I had the G-2 here." Jason muttered as we were walking.

"Too bad the G-2 is back on Earth." Princess replied.

"Actually, it's back in the parking lot at the lodge." Jason said. "Tiny left me with it when he dropped me off."

"So, could you go get it and come back to pick me up then?" She asked coyly.

"Anything for you, Princess." he grinned. He gave a stupid bow, that looked even more ridiculous when he tripped over something.

I stifled a chuckle.

"What was that?" I asked, as Jason stumbled.

"I don't know… a tree root or something." Jason replied.

Jason and I walked ahead a bit, as Princess inspected the ground more carefully. We suddenly heard her call back to us.

"Guys!" She hissed. "Back here!"

I was truly dismayed at what I saw. It meant our vacation was now officially over.

Lying on the ground before us was a green Spectran uniform.

"Spectra." I whispered. "What are they doing here?

"I think another good question is, what is this guy doing here?" Jason asked. He had brushed off more snow and we saw that it was, indeed, a dead soldier.

"Do you think they have a base nearby?" Princess asked.

"I wouldn't be surprised." said Jason. "It's not like the Happiness Boys haven't shown up with secret bases in strange places before."

"We should warn Chief Anderson." I suggested. I wasn't too keen on getting back to work, but it was now time for me to slip back into Commander Mode.

I stepped back a bit, raising my communicator to call the Chief, when suddenly I felt myself falling into a deep, dark pit.

I heard Princess cry out to me, but there was nothing I could do. I just hoped I'd have a soft landing.

A door in the ground had opened, and I found myself sitting with Princess, Jason and a lot of snow on a metallic floor.

We were inside a Spectran base. 


	13. Chapter 13

Snowbound Eagle 13

It was so dark inside; we could hardly make out each others' faces. I made another attempt to call the Chief, but it was no use.

"There must be some kind of dampening field built into the walls." Princess theorized. "I couldn't hear you through my bracelet either."

"So now what?" Jason asked.

I strained my eyes looking around what seemed to be a deserted Spectran base. I knew we couldn't let our guard down.

"We need to find out what this base is for." I replied. "I don't think they know we're here, or they would have shown up by now."

"I agree." Princess nodded. "I think our best move is to do our recon and get out as fast as possible."

"You're right, Princess." I agreed. I loved the way she and I could read each other's thoughts. We were such a great team. "Let's split up. We can each take one of these corridors and be back in thirty minutes."

"Okay. See you guys then." Jason ran off into the darkness.

"I'll go this way. See you in half an hour, Princess." I couldn't help but grin as I watched her slip off into the darkness. She looked so beautiful walking off like that. She was an amazing partner.

"Okay. See you then." She smiled back at me, kissing her fingertips and waving them at me as she walked away. She must've noticed me admiring her... such a tease…

I wandered the dark hallways and found myself in a small room full of important looking equipment. Small lights and buttons were blinking all over what appeared to be computers. Long rolls of tape spewed from one of the slots.

Aha…I thought…this base wasn't deserted after all…

I decided it was too dangerous to leave this equipment in Spectran hands. I pulled out a few charges from my belt and placed them on the computers.

Then, I backed up to a safe distance and sliced my boomerang through the air, hitting the charges and destroying the computers.

I leapt up to cling to the ceiling as I heard heavy footsteps headed my way.

A group of goons entered the room, bewildered at the damage.

"Looking for me?" I exclaimed in my most heroic Eagle voice.

I swooped down on the Spectrans, kicking and punching them, until every last one was down.

Then, I cautiously exited the room and slipped further down the hallway, wondering the entire time if Princess or Jason had had any luck…and worrying about my Swan's safety.

Now that I knew the base was operational, I felt the need to find Princess and make sure she was ok.

As I tiptoed down the narrow passages with an uneasy feeling that I was being followed. However, every time I looked back to check, all I saw was an empty hallway.

From somewhere in the darkness, a finger tapped me on the shoulder.

The tap left me totally unnerved. I jumped and instinctively grabbed for my boomerang.

"Princess!" I breathed a sigh of relief. "Where did you come from?"

"Back that way." She shrugged and pointed over her shoulder.

"I haven't seen anything except a maze of these damn corridors, some computers and a few unlucky goons." Mark said. "Did you find anything interesting?"

"Uh, just one of those Spectran booby traps." She muttered, looking a little embarrassed.

I decided against humiliating her any further and checked the time.

"I think we'd better get back to the rendezvous."

"No… wait…" She said, putting her hand on my arm. She was acting a little strange.

"What is it, Princess?"

"I just realized…" She said slowly, "that this layout looks familiar. It reminds me of one of the standard Spectran bases I was studying last week from the intel reports."

"Go on."

"I… I think I know where the control room should be." She recalled. "I think I could get us there pretty quickly."

I thought for a minute. She acted a bit nervous. Why was she behaving so strangely?

I couldn't put my finger on it, but she didn't seem like herself.

"Okay." I finally agreed. "We'll take a couple of minutes and see what we can find. It's not like Jason is ever on time to these rendezvous anyhow… at least, not unless the base is about to blow up." I gave her a quick wink.

"I promise, I haven't set any explosives… yet…" She grinned. I smiled back at her.

"Lead on, Princess." I took her by the hand.

I couldn't help myself, I had to touch her. I was getting so worried about her safety, and now I was just glad that she was with me.

I would be the one to protect her if anything went wrong, and Jason would have to back down. Princess and I were meant to be together.

Making a couple of turns, we came to where Princess thought the control room would be.

But there was nothing.

Only another empty hallway, like all the rest.

Princess appeared to be confused. It was so unlike her. Now I was really getting worried. Perhaps she hadn't fully recovered from the avalanche.

"What's wrong, Princess?" I asked.

"It's a trap!" She shouted.

She immediately pushed me out of the way as a force field appeared between us, blackening her gloved fingertips. I was horrified as I stood there, watching her wince in pain. She had saved me from the trap, but how did she know it was there?

"I'll get you out of there, Princess!" I shouted as I raced around looking for a control panel on the walls.

My sense of urgency increased as I saw her coughing and slumping to the ground. I had to save her…

"Princess!" I yelled, "Wake up! There's some kind of gas in there! You have to snap out of it!"

"What?" She replied. Her eyes watered as she gazed up at me helplessly. Her legs began to twitch.

"Oh, God, please…" I begged. Don't let this be the end. I couldn't live with myself replaying this moment in my mind over and over again, and hating myself for not being able to save her.

"Mark…" She cried out weakly to me as her eyes began to close.

I slammed my fist into the wall. I hated this helplessness.

"Where is that damn control panel?" I screamed.

I cringed inwardly as I crouched down and tried to talk to her through the force field.

"Just hold on, Princess. Don't leave me…"

"I'll… try…" She grunted. I could see she was in great pain.

I fought back tears as I watched her struggle.

"Mark…" She whispered.

"I love you…"

Her eyes finally closed as she gave in to the gas.

Tears flowed down my face. I threw myself against the wall and screamed out in agony. "PRINCESS! NOOOOOOOOOO!"

I didn't care who heard me. Let those bastard goons come. Let Zoltar himself come.

They would all face the Eagle's rage. Princess' death would not be in vain.


	14. Chapter 14

Snowbound Eagle-14

My heart was broken. My life would never be the same.

I had lost the will to live, but I was determined top take all of Spectra with me before my life ended. For once, I truly understood Jason's hatred. Not that I didn't despise the Spectrans for what they had done here on earth, but I truly believed they could be rehabilitated… even Zoltar.

I couldn't have been more mistaken. They were not human, and never would be. And they had killed the one true love of my life…my Princess.

I darted through the halls, eager for some hapless goon, or better yet, Zoltar himself, to cross my path.

It didn't take long before I heard a familiar voice. Zoltar.

A feral grin spread across my face as I contemplated what I was going to do to him.

Little did he know, he was about to face an excruciating death.

I listened outside for a minute, before making my move.

"You little bitch…" he spat. "You resisted my re-programming… twice… And now, you're going to pay!""

What was he talking about? I was so confused. Who or what was he programming?

"A quick end is too good for a slut like you!" he screamed.

I figured since some woman was in trouble... I couldn't wait any longer to crash this party.

I raced up behind the purple bastard and slid my arm around his neck. I squeezed as hard as I could, hoping to hear the hissing escape of his final breath.

For one moment, I allowed my attention to slip, as my eyes were suddenly riveted to the woman in peril.

Princess? No! How? How could it be?

Zoltar's writhing and gasping quickly got me back on track, as I squeezed even harder, willing him to die.

"This is the end for you, you purple freak!" I shouted, slamming him into the wall. I grabbed him again, ready to slam him once more, and ended up with only his ghastly purple cape.

Maniacal laughter filled the room as Zoltar escaped yet again.

"You haven't seen the last of me, G-Force!" came his sneering voice.

"Damnit!" I bellowed, throwing down the cape. "I had him!"

"At least, you have me too." The woman smiled. I couldn't believe how much she looked like Princess. My heart was about to beat out of my chest as I examined her features.

This couldn't be Princess. I had just watched her die…

"Who are you?" I asked. "You can't be who I think you are."

"I am, Mark." She said softly. She indicated the computer monitor that still showed the prone body of the first Swan duplicate. "She's the fake."

"But… she… she saved me!" I sobbed. There she was, lying on the floor, just as I had left her. My lifless Princess. I'd never forgive myself for letting her die. "She sacrificed her own life for mine!"

I turned away from the monitor as tears rolled down my cheeks.

Through watery eyes I glanced back at the woman chained to the wall.  
Hadn't I just heard Zoltar talking about programming this woman? She had to be a fake.

"She led you into a trap, Mark. But at the last minute, she realized what she was doing, and overcame Zoltar's subliminal programming."

I could feel more tears trickling down my face. I was never any good at hiding my emotions.

Finally, I took my BirdRang out of its holster and used it to cut the Swan down from the wall. As I cut through the bonds on her hands, I noticed that her fingertips were not blackened as Princess' had been. She must've been in this chamber the entire time I was with...Princess?

"Thank you." She said gratefully, rubbing her wrists. "I was beginning to lose all feeling in my arms."

I felt so angry, sad and confused. She was insisting that she was Princess, my Swan...but I wasn't sure.

"I'm here, Mark." She said softly. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right by your side."

I felt a warm gush of relief flood my body as she spoke those reassuring words. She had to be Princess…I so desperately wanted her to be Princess…

I caught her hand in mine, and brought it to my lips, kissing it softly.

"I'm just grateful that's you're actually here, talking with me." I quietly choked out the words. "When I thought you had died…"

"Shhhh…." She said, placing my finger on my mouth. "This is not the time, Mark. Jason is in trouble, and we need to go help him."

"We will finish this conversation… later…" She promised.

"You're right, Princess." I nodded. "Now, where is Jason?" 


	15. Chapter 15

Snowbound Eagle 15

We slipped out into the corridor together, and a feeling of tranquility overcame me. Here I was, on a mission with Princess beside me, as it had been so many times before.

It was comforting to have Princess as my partner on missions. I always knew I could count on her abilities, and she could count on me to keep her safe. I would not lose her again.

I gripped her hand tightly as we started off to find Jason.

"I'm not letting go." I said quietly, as a slight smile formed on my face. "I'm not going to lose you, again."

"I'm not planning on going anywhere." She smiled back.

"Do you know where Jason was?" I asked.

"Zoltar said that he was in sector R-39." She replied, "But I have no idea where that is."

"The Spectran base intel reports didn't show that?" I was surprised. Princess had always recalled the important facts we needed for missions.

"What intel reports? Those must have been for Commander's eyes' only. I haven't seen anything on Spectran bases in months."

"Oh.I guess I was mistaken, then." I shrugged.

"Well, if you didn't encounter a warehouse full of dead goons, then you didn't find Jason." She mused, "So let's go the opposite way from which you came."

"Makes sense." I grinned. "You have a way of making me see things more clearly."

Indeed, I could see more clearly now, my feelings for the Swan were not going to change. It no longer mattered to me what others thought of an Eagle/ Swan relationship.

We are not promised a tomorrow…

We moved swiftly down the hallways. Now that Spectra knew we were here, and we knew that they could monitor us on the security system, there was no need for stealth.

After a number of twists and turns, we came across a locked door.

"Let's give it a try." I suggested. It wasn't like we'd encountered much else. Most of this base just seemed to be an endless maze of corridors.

Princess nodded, and placed a small explosive to break open the lock. After it had detonated, I kicked open the door as we stood to the sides.

No goons came running out, so we quickly slipped inside.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

Inside the room were what looked like hundreds of capsules, each containing an exact duplicate of Zoltar himself.

We stood there in silence gaping at the scene before us. Maybe Zoltar hadn't escaped every time after all.

A noise from behind us interrupted our silent gawking.

I quickly motioned for Princess to hide behind the tubes, and then unsheathed my BirdRang. Then, I slowly crept toward the source of the noise.

The Condor's blue cape flashed before me. I let out a huge sigh of relief. I was actually glad to see that he was ok.

"Jason!" I said, relieved. "I'm glad we've found you! Princess said something about a bunch of dead goons…"

"They weren't that much trouble." Jason drawled, "Only about five hundred or so. Where have you been? You didn't make the rendezvous!"

Jason motioned for someone to join him in the center of the room. My jaw dropped as I saw another Swan appear from the shadows.

She ran lightly up to Jason, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He placed a possessive arm around her waist, saying to her, "Look who I found… Princess!"

I felt all of the blood drain out of my face.

Was that really Princess? Then who… or what… was I with? Was this another of Zoltar's tricks?

The Princess who had come with me gave a small cough, and stepped out into the center of the room.

We all turned to stare at her. Now we were all completely bewildered.

"No… it can't be…" the Swan standing next to Jason gasped, "Somehow they've cloned me too!"

"No one can replace you, Prin." Jason said reassuringly, giving her a squeeze. "She just looks like you."

I just stood there like an idiot gaping at the two identical Swans. For once, I had absolutely no idea what to do.

"Which one of you is the real Swan?" I asked nervously.

"I am, of course, Mark!" Princess answered hotly, just as Jason's Swan answered, "Well, of course, it's me!"

Jason looked back and forth from the Swan in his arms, to Princess.

I looked desperately at Princess' face, searching for some clue that she was the original Princess.

Princess walked over, and put her hand on the other Swan's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," She said quietly, "But I'm the real Swan. You're actually my second duplicate."

The Swan next to Jason shook her head, refusing to accept Princess' words.

"No!" she declared. "I know I'm real! I remember! I remember my childhood, at the orphanage, and meeting Chief Anderson for the first time, and going on this ski trip…" A tear rolled down her cheek. "I've got to be real…"

Jason comforted her in his arms, as she began to sob quietly. Then, he shot Princess a look that caused me to subconsciously reach for my boomerang.

"How dare you try to pull this mental crap on her!" he accused. "It's just another one of Zoltar's filthy tricks!"

I watched the scene unfold, and I wanted to speak, but wasn't sure what to say. As the Commander of G Force, the responsibility fell upon me to have all the answers. Only, this time, I didn't have the answers…

Sometimes it was best just to observe the situation. I continued to watch the conversation carefully, searching for any clues that would reveal the true Swan.

"The reason you remember those things, is because I remember those things." My Princess explained. "Zoltar made you just like me, with a couple of personality modifications, and a subliminal suggestion to capture the Condor."

"She didn't 'capture' me!" Jason growled, "She helped me fight off those goons!"

"And you wouldn't believe how pissed off Zoltar was!" Princess giggled. "He couldn't believe that both of his Swan duplicates had betrayed him. She wasn't supposed to help you with that Whirlwind Pyramid, Jason."

Jason began to look a little unsure. The other Swan still hid her face in his chest.

I walked up behind my own Swan and put my hand on her arm.

"Can you prove that you're the real Swan, Princess?" I asked.

She thought for a moment.

"Yes." She said, looking sympathetically at the other Swan.

"Look at my arm." She held out her arm and pointed to three raised bumps. "I have three wounds here: one from being sedated, and two from having blood drawn… to make duplicates."

The other Swan's eyes flashed defiantly, silently challenging Princess' words.

"Your yo-yo won't work." Princess continued, "And you can't de-transmute either. Zoltar's scientist wasn't able to replicate our technology."

"You lie!" Jason's Swan turned and spat back at Princess. Pulling away from Jason, she expertly unsheathed her yo-yo and threw it toward the nearest Zoltar tube.

It cracked the glass a little, but she was unable to produce a charge.

"I'm sorry…" My Swan muttered, embracing her.

"I…" Jason's Swan looked tearfully into Princess' eyes. "I'm… not… you…"

My heart went out to her. I couldn't imagine realizing that I was a clone created by Spectra. How devastating that must've been for her…

"I know…" Princess added in that reassuring voice of hers, "But that doesn't mean that you're not a real person. Whatever you are, you're a human being."

"And a darn good G-Force member at that." added Jason. He gently turned the other Swan's face around to look at him.

"If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have escaped all of those goons." he said. "A one person Whirlwind wouldn't have been enough."

She nodded back at him, tears sliding down her face.

"I'd do anything for you, Jase." she whispered.

"I know that." he replied, and bent his head so that the tops of their helmets touched, where their foreheads should be.

My Princess turned to me. "We can't leave her here, Commander."

"I agree. We're all getting out of here, but not before we destroy all of these Zoltars."

"I'm with you." Jason said grimly, never taking his eyes off of the other Swan.

After a quick nod, Princess set a few charges and a timer.

"How about ten minutes?" She asked. "I presume that's enough?"

"It should be." Jason replied. "My Swan can lead us out of her in five, can't you, Prin?"

"Yes..." the other Swan said, wiping her face with her glove. "I'll get you all out of here."

"Then let's go." I ordered. We quickly followed the other Swan out of the chamber.  
She led us past the path of destruction she and Jason had created together.

Jason had been right. She was a member of G-Force. Even Jason couldn't have done all of this on his own.

I gazed at the green suited bodies on the floor as we evacuated. All of those lives…so needlessly snuffed out.

My mind then wandered to the scene that was now etched in my memory forever. Princess' lifeless body collapsed on the cold, hard floor inside the Spectran trap.

The person I had been with earlier, whom I thought to be Princess, was a clone…and the clone that died was human, with feelings and memories, just like everyone else.

I was certainly thankful that the real Princess didn't die, but I would never forget the look on the clone's face as long as I lived.

My mind suddenly snapped back to the present and I noticed that my Princess had fallen back and had been talking with Jason.

As he and Princess finished their private conversation, Jason finally sprinted forward to catch up with his Swan.

"Everything okay?" I asked Princess.

I hoped the Condor was being more civil to Princess. I was in no mood to teach him some manners.

I was also very curious about their conversation, but I wouldn't pry…

"Yes…" She answered, smiling. "I think it will be…"

Leave it to Princess to smooth things over with Jason, too. I smiled back at her.

When we reached the opening to the sky, through which we had first entered the base, the other Swan stopped, and turned to look at us.

"This is where I leave you all." she said, with quiet resolution.

"No." stated Jason firmly, grasping her arm. "You're coming with us."

"No, Jason." she replied, gently removing his hand from her glove. "Someone has to destroy Zoltar's cloning machine. It's his only one, and all of the data is here as well. If I can set a high level charge in there, we can be sure that he'll never use this technology again."

A twinge of worry shot through me as I heard what the other Swan intended to do. "That's a worthy goal, but do you have enough time before Princess' charge goes off?"

"I'll have to." she said, before turning and flying off down the hallway.

Jason turned to follow her, but I held him back.

"You can't, Jason." I ordered, "Let her go. She knows what needs to be done. And we need to get out of here."

"And she doesn't?" Jason whirled around to challenge my authority yet again, pointing at Princess, who was standing by my side. "Just because you have your Prin, everything's okay, then, isn't it?"

I had no intentions of giving in. "We're leaving, now. That's an order."

Jason made a bow, adding a mocking flourish, then quickly leapt up out of the base, onto the snow.

I motioned for Princess to escape next, and then I followed close behind. Once all three of us were outside, we ran like hell.

A minute later, a giant explosion rocked the snow-covered forest. The impact of the blast, behind us, knocked us to our knees, driving our faces into the cold, wet ground.

A giant fireball belched from the ground and up into the sky, leaving behind a massive crater full of blackened, charred debris.

"Princess!" screamed Jason. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He was obviously very attached to the other Swan.

I felt so relieved that it was over. The base was destroyed, along with the Zoltar clones.  
My attention turned to Princess. She seemed as devastated as Jason did over the death of her clone. I walked up behind her and silently slipped my arms around her tiny waist. She leaned back into my chest in response. Tears flowed freely down my face as I watched the Condor bellowing in grief.

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_A/N: If you'd like to read chapters 16-20, check out **Snowbound: Eagle II**. I had to post it seperately for mature content. Please do not read if this type of material offends you._

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